Usambara Mountains

Ancient Eastern Arc forests holding some of Tanzania’s rarest endemic birds. How to bird the West and East Usambaras.

The Usambaras are part of the Eastern Arc, a chain of old mountains whose forests have stayed wet and stable for millions of years. Birds here evolved in isolation, and several live nowhere else.

We split time between the West Usambaras near Lushoto, with high, cool forest at Magamba, and the East Usambaras at Amani Nature Reserve, which is lower, warmer and very rich.

The birding is slow. Many of the birds are small, shy and high in the canopy, so patience is essential. We include the Usambaras on our longest birding tour and can add them to any trip.

Getting there

The West Usambaras around Lushoto are about six to seven hours’ drive east of Arusha. The East Usambaras and Amani Nature Reserve are a further two to three hours. The last stretch is steep mountain road.

Where to stay

Simple but comfortable guesthouses and lodges near Lushoto and at Amani. Expect cool nights at altitude.

Our guides’ tips

Visit from October to March. Avoid the long rains of April and May.
Bring good walking shoes and a rain jacket.
Hire a local forest guide. They know the territories of the rarest birds.
Allow at least two full days for forest birding.

Common questions

Why are the Usambaras important for birds?

They’re part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, whose ancient forests hold species found nowhere else.

Is it hard walking?

Trails can be steep and muddy. Moderate fitness is enough if you take your time.

Can I add the Usambaras to a northern safari?

Yes. We include them on our 11-day odyssey and can add them to any trip.

Safaris that visit Usambara Mountains

Bar-tailed Trogon perched in Usambara montane forest

39days

39-Day Ultimate Tanzania Birding Expedition

From Lake Victoria, Northern Savannahs to Eastern Arc Forests & Southern Wilderness

Tanzania’s most complete birding trip: 39 days from Lake Victoria and the Serengeti to the Eastern Arc forests, the southern highlands, Ruaha, Nyerere and Pugu Hills.

See the itinerary Enquire

Elephant herd crossing the Tarangire River

19days

19-Day Northern & Northeastern Tanzania Birding & Wildlife Safari

Arusha NP, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, South Pare & Usambara

Nineteen days combining the northern parks and their big game with the endemic birds of the Mbulu, South Pare and Usambara Mountains.

See the itinerary Enquire

7days

7-Day Usambara Mountains & Northern Coastal Forest Birding Tour

Ruvu, Mombo, Magamba, Amani & Zigi

Seven days birding the West and East Usambara Mountains, the Mombo thornbush plains and Zigi lowland forest, starting and ending in Dar es Salaam.

See the itinerary Enquire

Wildlife

Iconic wildlife of Usambara Mountains

The animals, trees and reptiles our guides look for here, with the best season and where to find them. See the full wildlife guide.

Primate

Black-and-white colobus

Colobus guereza

Long white capes and a leap that seems to hang in the air. Arusha National Park’s forest is full of them.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Usambara Mountains, Mount Kilimanjaro, Rubondo Island National Park

Primate

Blue monkey

Cercopithecus mitis

The quiet grey-blue monkey of Tanzania’s forests, usually noticed by a shaking branch high in the canopy.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Gombe & Mahale Mountains, Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Tanganyika

Reptile

Usambara three-horned chameleon

Trioceros deremensis

A giant among chameleons, with three horns like a tiny triceratops. It lives only in the forests of the Eastern Arc Mountains.

Seen in

Usambara Mountains

Birding

Birds to look for in Usambara Mountains

Specialities, endemics and the birds that make this place different, chosen by our birding guides. Browse all birds.

Near-endemic

Fischer’s Turaco

Tauraco fischeri

The coastal and Usambara forests’ turaco, with a red crest tipped white. A target bird for every East Usambara trip.

Seen in

Usambara Mountains

Resident

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill

Bycanistes brevis

A huge forest hornbill with a cream casque, whooshing overhead with every wingbeat.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Mount Kilimanjaro

Resident

Bar-tailed Trogon

Apaloderma vittatum

A jewel of the montane forest that sits motionless for minutes, then is simply gone.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Ngorongoro Crater

Endemic

Long-billed Tailorbird

Artisornis moreaui

Critically endangered and almost impossible to see anywhere but the East Usambaras. A bird for serious listers.

Seen in

Usambara Mountains

Near-endemic

Usambara Nightjar

Caprimulgus guttifer

A ghost of the forest edge at dusk, and one of the Usambaras’ special birds.

Seen in

Usambara Mountains

Near-endemic

Red-capped Forest Warbler

Artisornis metopias

Also called the African Tailorbird. A tiny, restless bird of the montane undergrowth with a rusty cap.

Seen in

Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Ngorongoro Crater

Near-endemic

Kretschmer’s Longbill

Macrosphenus kretschmeri

A skulking, long-billed warbler of coastal and East Usambara thickets, named for the Baltic German naturalist who collected it.

Seen in

Usambara Mountains

Near-endemic

Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird

Anthreptes neglectus

A quiet, canopy-loving sunbird of the Eastern Arc forests, with a violet back that shows only in good light.

Seen in

Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Usambara Mountains

Resident

Palm-nut Vulture

Gypohierax angolensis

A vulture that eats palm fruit. Black and white, with a bare pink face, along Lake Tanganyika and the eastern rivers.

Seen in

Gombe & Mahale Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Usambara Mountains, Lake Tanganyika

Resident

White-starred Robin

Pogonocichla stellata

A yellow-and-blue robin of the forest floor with a white star on its forehead, singing in the half-light.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Ngorongoro Crater

Near-endemic

Short-tailed Batis

Batis mixta

A tiny black-and-white flycatcher of the Eastern Arc forests, hunting insects in the mid-storey.

Seen in

Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Usambara Mountains

Resident

Crowned Hornbill

Lophoceros alboterminatus

A neat, dark hornbill with a red bill and a white belly, usually in pairs along the forest edge.

Seen in

Gombe & Mahale Mountains, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Arusha National Park, Lake Tanganyika

Resident

Narina Trogon

Apaloderma narina

Emerald back, scarlet belly, and a habit of sitting absolutely still. Finding one is a highlight of any forest walk.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Gombe & Mahale Mountains

Activities

Things to do in Usambara Mountains

How a day here is spent, from game drives to walks and boat trips. All safari activities.

Hartlaub’s Turaco in Arusha National Park

Any length, from a morning walk to a 27-day expedition

Birdwatching

More than 1,100 species, dozens of endemics, and guides who find most birds by ear. Our speciality.

Waterfall in the montane forest of Arusha National Park

One to four hours

Walking safaris and nature walks

Leave the vehicle behind. Walk with a ranger to a waterfall, across the plains, or into Eastern Arc forest.

Eastern Arc forest in the Usambara Mountains

Half day to full day

Forest hiking and waterfalls

Hike through ancient Eastern Arc rainforest to Sanje Falls and the viewpoints of the Usambaras.

Explore other Tanzania destinations

More parks, plains and forests our safaris visit, each with its own wildlife, birds and best season.

Arusha National Park

Montane forest, the Momella Lakes and Hartlaub’s Turaco, just 45 minutes from Arusha.

Flamingos in flight over a Rift Valley soda lake

Lake Natron

The Rift Valley soda lake where East Africa’s Lesser Flamingos breed.

Black-winged Stilt wading in shallow water

Lake Eyasi

Seasonal soda lake with flamingos, waterbirds and quiet dry bush.

Grey-headed Gull on a Rift Valley lake, Tanzania

Lake Victoria

Africa’s largest lake, with papyrus specialists and lakeshore birds.

Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) in reeds, Tanzania

Rubondo Island National Park

Quiet island park with forest birds, waterbirds and sitatunga.

Lake Tanganyika

Clear lake, western forest birds and the gateway to Gombe and Mahale.

Bird singing on an acacia branch, northern Tanzania

Mount Kilimanjaro

Montane forest birding on the slopes of Africa’s highest mountain.

Lark Plains

The only place on earth to see the critically endangered Beesley’s Lark.

African elephant walking through dry grass, Tanzania

Tarangire National Park

Huge elephant herds, ancient baobabs and Tanzania’s endemic birds.

Lioness resting in an acacia tree, Tanzania

Lake Manyara National Park

Tree-climbing lions, groundwater forest and a soda lake full of waterbirds.

Ngorongoro Crater

A volcanic caldera with black rhino, lions and big grassland birds.

Wildebeest herds of the Great Migration, Serengeti

Serengeti National Park

Vast plains, the Great Migration and big cats all year round.

Wild chimpanzee in the forest at Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania

Gombe & Mahale Mountains

Track wild chimpanzees in the forests where Jane Goodall began her research.

Ruaha National Park

Tanzania’s largest park: big predators, baobab plains and 570+ bird species.

Sunbird perched in the forest canopy, Udzungwa Mountains

Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains

Rainforest endemics, Sanje Falls and the Kilombero Weaver in southern Tanzania.

Start planning your safari

Let’s plan a safari around your interests. Share your travel dates, number of people, the ages of any children travelling, and the birds or wildlife you hope to see. We’ll get back to you within 24 hours with a personalised itinerary and a detailed quote.

Send an enquiry WhatsApp +255 627 415 415